1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
8 @chapter New features in 2.1 since 2.0
21 @item Safe mode has been reinstated for lilypond.
22 When lilypond is invoked with @code{--safe-mode}, @TeX{} and
23 PostScript file output is disallowed, and lilypond-bin is invoked with
24 @code{--safe-mode}, the user's Guile expressions are evaluated in a
25 safe environment and file inclusion is not allowed.
27 Be warned that a DOS attack using Guile, @TeX{} or PostScript is
30 (This feature is still experimental.)
32 @item There is now a Scheme macro for defining markup
33 commands. Special mark-up commands can be defined in user-files too.
35 @item Many fixes for dimension scaling have been made,
36 resulting in correct results for scores that mix staves in different
39 @item Improved robustness when layout properties are accidentally removed.
41 @item A more cleanly constructed part combiner has been installed.
42 It is more robust and less buggy. The part-combiner can be used with
44 \newpartcombine @var{mus1} @var{mus2}
48 See @file{input/regression/new-part-combine.ly} for an example.
50 (This feature is still experimental.)
52 @item Formatting of rehearsal marks has been improved. The @code{\mark}
53 command now only does automatic incrementing for marks specified as
54 integer. For example, @code{\mark #1} will print an A in the default
55 style. See @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-letter.ly},
56 @file{input/regression/rehearsal-mark-number.ly}.
58 @item Formatting of ottava brackets has been much improved.
60 @item Objects in the output can now be documented: the following fragment
61 boxes the note head, and adds the text ``heads or tails?'' three
65 \context Voice \applyoutput #(add-balloon-text
66 'NoteHead "heads, or tails?"
74 @item Default staff sizes are now scalable. There are two new mechanisms for
75 setting staff sizes. Both are demonstrated in this fragment:
78 #(set-global-staff-size 15)
80 #(paper-set-staff-size (* 15 pt))
86 Both have the same effect on the global layout of a
87 piece. Similarly, the paper size may be changed as follows
90 #(set-paper-size "a4")
94 @item Warnings for bar check errors are more cleverly printed. This
95 makes @code{barCheckSynchronize} superfluous, so it is now switched
98 Warning: this will cause problems in scores that use bar checks to
101 @item The black note head was made a little rounder, which causes a less
102 frantic graphic impression.
105 A more concise syntax for checking octaves was introduced. A note may
106 be followed by @code{=}@var{quotes} which indicates what its absolute
107 octave should be. In the following example,
110 \relative c'' @{ c='' b=' d,='' @}
114 the d will generate a warning, because a d'' is
115 expected, but a d' is found.
116 @c @code adds ` ' very confusing.
118 @item There is a new mechanism for putting lyrics to melodies.
119 With this mechanism, @code{LyricVoice}s can be put melodies
120 individually, allowing for different melismatic sections in every
121 @code{LyricVoice}. See @file{input/regression/lyric-combine-new.ly}.
123 @item Bar lines may now be dotted.
126 @item The documentation now has links to a wiki, where everyone can
127 add personal comments to the manual.
129 @item Contexts may now be changed locally for an isolated music
130 expression. For example,
134 \consists "Pitch_squash_engraver"
140 @item The syntax for changing staffs has changed. The keyword
141 @code{\change} should now be used, e.g.
147 @item Features of spanner contexts, like @code{Staff}, can now be changed
148 using @code{\property}, eg.
152 \property Staff.StaffSymbol \set #'line-count = #4
158 puts a quarter note C on a staff with 4 lines.
161 @item Multi measure rests are now truly centered between the
162 clefs/barlines of the staff, their position is independent of symbols
165 @item Collision resolution for dots in chords has been improved greatly.
168 Spacing following barlines was improved for widely stretched lines.
171 Lyric hyphens and extenders now conform to standard typesetting
175 Lyrics are now aligned under note heads conforming to engraving
176 standards. The responsible code has been rewritten, and is drastically
177 simpler from the previous version. To aid this rewrite, the syntactic
178 function of the extender line ( __ ) has been changed: it is now
179 attached to the lyric syllable.
182 When redefining a context, the associated identifier is also
183 updated. For example, after reading the following snippet,
190 the definition of @code{ScoreContext} is updated to include the changed
195 The weight of the stafflines is now heavier at smaller staff sizes.
196 The font has been modified to match this look: at smaller sizes, the
197 font is heavier and the note heads are more rounded.
199 @item Processing scores is now done while parsing the file. New
200 Scheme functions give more flexibility: for example, it is now possible
201 interpret a score, collecting synchronized musical events in a list, and
202 manipulate that information using inline Scheme. For an example, see
203 @file{input/no-notation/recording.ly}.
205 @item Font sizes can now truly be scaled continuously: the @code{font-size}
206 is similar to the old @code{font-relative-size}, but may be set to
207 fractional values; the closest design size will be scaled to achieve
208 the desired size. As a side-effect, there are now no longer
209 limitations in using smaller fonts (eg. grace notes) at small staff
212 @item The appearance of stem tips is now also engraved with rounded corners.
215 The placement of accidentals on chords and ledgered notes is improved.
220 @chapter New features in 2.0 since 1.8
225 Crescendos can now be drawn dotted or dashed.
228 Quarter tones are now supported. They are entered by suffixing
229 @code{ih} for a half-sharp and @code{eh} for a half-flat. Hence, the
230 following is an ascending list of pitches:
233 ceses ceseh ces ceh c cih cis cisih cisis
237 The following constructs have been removed from the syntax:
240 \duration #SCHEME-DURATION
242 \outputproperty @var{func} @var{symbol} = @var{value}
245 For @code{\outputproperty}, the following may be substituted:
248 \applyoutput #(outputproperty-compatibility @var{func}
249 @var{symbol} @var{value})
253 Clefs may now be transposed arbitrarily, for example
263 The syntax for chords and simultaneous music have changed.
264 Chords are entered as
270 while simultaneous music is entered as
273 <<@var{..music list..}>>
276 In effect, the meanings of both have been swapped relative to their 1.8
277 definition. The syntax for lists in @code{\markup} has changed
278 alongside, but figured bass mode was not changed, i.e.:
281 \markup @{ \center <@var{..list of markups..}> @}
282 \figure @{ <@var{figures}> @}
285 As chords the more often used than simultaneous music, this change will
289 Each music expression can now be tagged, to make different printed
290 versions from the same music expression. In the following example,
291 we see two versions of a piece of music, one for the full score, and
292 one with cue notes for the instrumental part:
296 @{ c4 f2 g4 @} % in the part, we have cue-notes
298 \tag #'score R1 % in the score: only a rest
302 The same can be applied to articulations, texts, etc.: they are
306 -\tag #@var{your-tags}
309 to an articulation, for example,
312 c4-\tag #'with-fingerings -4 -\tag #'with-strings \6
315 This defines a note, which has a conditional fingering and a
316 string-number indication.
319 The settings for chord-fingering are more flexible. You can specify a
320 list where fingerings may be placed, eg.
323 \property Voice.fingeringOrientations = #'(left down)
326 This will put the fingering for the lowest note below the chord, and the
330 The script previously known as @code{ly2dvi} has been renamed to
331 @code{lilypond}. The binary itself is now installed as
335 Markup text (ie. general text formatting) may now be used for lyrics too.
338 Two new commands for grace notes have been added, @code{\acciaccatura}
339 and @code{\appoggiatura},
346 Both reflect the traditional meanings of acciaccatura and appogiatura,
347 and both insert insert a slur from the first grace note to the main
351 Layout options for grace notes are now stored in a context property,
352 and may now be set separately from musical content.
355 The @code{\new} command will create a context with a unique
356 name automatically. Hence, for multi-staff scores, it is no longer
357 necessary to invent arbitrary context names. For example, a two-staff
358 score may be created by
362 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 1st staff} @}
363 \new Staff @{ @var{notes for 2nd staff} @}
370 Octave checks make octave errors easier to correct.
377 This checks that @var{pitch} (without octave) yields @var{pitch} (with
378 octave) in \relative mode. If not, a warning is printed, and the
382 All articulations must now be entered postfix. For example,
389 is a pair of beamed slurred eighth notes.
392 The definition of @code{\relative} has been simplified. Octaves are
393 now always propagated in the order that music is entered. In the
398 \repeat "unfold" 3 BODY \alternative @{ ALT1 ALT2 @}
403 the octave of BODY is based on PRE, the starting octave of ALT1 on
404 BODY, the starting octave of ALT2 on ALT1, and the starting octave of
407 The same mechanism is used for all other music expressions, except the
408 chord. Backwards compatibility is retained through a special program option,
412 #(ly:set-option 'old-relative)
416 Windows users can double click a @code{.ly} file to process and view
417 it automagically through the new @code{lily-wins} frontend.
424 @chapter New features in 1.8 since 1.6
429 The chord entry code has been completely rewritten. It is now
430 cleaner and more flexible.
433 A new syntax has been added for text entry. This syntax is more
434 friendly than the old mechanism, and it is implemented in a more
435 robust and modular way. For more information, refer to the section on
436 "Text markup" in the notation manual.
439 The integration of the input language and Scheme has been made deeper:
440 you can now use LilyPond identifiers in Scheme, and use Scheme
441 expressions instead of LilyPond identifiers.
444 The internal representation of music has been cleaned up completely
445 and converted to Scheme data structures. The representation may be
449 A new uniform postfix syntax for articulation has been introduced.
450 A beamed slurred pair of eighth notes can be entered as
456 In version 2.0, postfix syntax will be the only syntax
457 available, and the dashes will become optional.
459 This will simplify the language: all articulations can be entered as
460 postfix, in any order.
463 A new syntax has been added for chords:
470 It is not necessary to update files to this syntax, but it will be for
471 using LilyPond version 2.0. In version 2.0, this syntax will be
481 \simultaneous @{ .. @}
484 for simultaneous music.
486 To convert your files from <PITCHES> to <<PITCHES>>, use the script
487 included in buildscripts/convert-new-chords.py
489 This change was introduced for the following reasons
493 It solves the "start score with chord" problem, where you have to
494 state \context Voice explicitly when a chord was the start of a
497 With the new syntax, it is possible to distinguish between
498 articulations (or fingerings) which are for a single chord note,
499 and which are for the entire chord. This allows for per-note
500 fingerings, and is more logical on the whole.
504 User code may now be executed during interpreting. The syntax for
508 \applycontext #SCHEME-FUNCTION
512 User code may now be executed on arbitrary grobs during interpreting.
513 The syntax for this feature is
516 \applyoutput #SCHEME-FUNCTION
520 SCHEME-FUNCTION takes a single argument, and is called for every grob
521 that is created in the current context.
524 New algorithms for chord-name formatting have been installed. They
525 can be tuned and have ergonomic syntax for entering exceptions.
528 Texts may now be put on multimeasure rests, e.g.
531 R1*20^\markup @{ "GP" @}
535 Ancient notation now prints ligatures in Gregorian square neumes
536 notation, roughly following the typographical style of the Liber
537 hymnarius of Solesmes, published in 1983. Ligatures are still printed
538 without the proper line breaking and horizontal spacing.
541 Glissandi can now be printed using the zigzag style.
544 LilyPond can now print clusters. The syntax is
547 \apply #notes-to-clusters @{ NOTE NOTE .. @}
551 For irregular meters, beat grouping marks can be printed. The
555 #(set-time-signature 7 8 '(3 2 2))
560 Nested horizontal brackets for music analysis can now be printed:
569 @item Ottava brackets are now fully supported as a feature. The syntax
577 @item Metronome markings are printed when a \tempo command is processed.
581 @item Fingerings can be put on chords horizontally.
585 @item The appearance of various glyphs has been fine-tuned.
589 @item Different types of percent style repeats may now be nested.
593 @item The emacs support has been extended.
597 The manual has been completely revised and extended.
601 @chapter New features in 1.6 since 1.4
607 Support for figured bass and tablature.
610 Completely rewritten beam formatting: provides much better output
615 Completely revised and improved music font.
619 Completely rewritten MIDI import support.
622 Completely rewritten grace note support. Practically speaking this
623 means that grace notes can be slurred to normal normal notes.
627 Improved accidental handling and formatting: styles for producing
628 cautionaries may vary, and complex collisions between accidentals of a
629 chord are handled much better.
632 Better spacing: both globally and locally. This includes subtle
633 details like optical stem spacing.
636 More support for ancient notation: mensural ligatures, ambitus
637 (pitch range) of voices, more shapes, etc.
640 More support for piano notation: bracket pedals, directed arpeggios,
644 Easier music polyphonic music entry.
647 More extensibility, many speedups and bugfixes
650 The manual has been thoroughly revised.
653 Development is now hosted at http://savannah.gnu.org, and sources
654 can be downloaded through anonymous CVS.
657 Support for windows: LilyPond is part of the cygwin distribution,
658 which comes with a user-friendly installer.